Verhoyen

The best version of Verhoyen shows up on normal ground, over distances of seven furlongs to a mile. In those conditions, the record sharpens noticeably — 4 wins from 25 races, meaning the horse wins roughly 1 in every 6 times those boxes are ticked. That is a meaningful improvement on the overall average, and it tells you something useful: get the conditions right, and Verhoyen is a different proposition.

Jockey W J Lee knows this horse better than almost anyone, having ridden together 20 times. That partnership has produced 3 of Verhoyen's 4 career wins — a win rate of 15%, or roughly 1 in every 7 rides. For a horse whose overall record is as stretched as this one, finding a jockey who clearly clicks is no small thing. When Lee is in the saddle and the ground is riding normally, the team from M C Grassick's yard in Curragh, Co. Kildare, will fancy their chances.

The last win came at Fairyhouse in July 2024, now 22 months ago, and the recent run of form — finishing fourth, then unplaced, then 14th, 18th, 9th, and 6th — suggests the victories are not coming as easily as they once did. That is not unusual for an 11-year-old deep into a career of 56 races, and Grassick's yard has sent out 6 winners already this season, so the operation is in form even if Verhoyen personally is waiting for things to click. The first win, back in May 2022 at The Curragh, launched a career that has stretched far longer than most. Whether another one is coming is the question — but the fact that Verhoyen raced just yesterday suggests nobody is writing the ending just yet.